Shared utilities/Landlord Threats

[Janet Kroeker]

What is the name of your state? California

We share utilities with two other units but the utilities are in our name. The other tenants have not paid in over three months - one has moved out and left no forwarding address. We have told and documented this problem to the Landlord. Each time the landlord says that they have talked to the other tennants and that they will be paying and contacting us. No payment yet. This month we withheld the amount owed us from our rent. Is our only recourse to take the other tenants to small claims court? Is the Landlord not responsible in some way?

Also, any time there is an issue like this the landlord threatens that if we keep bugging them with these issues they are going to have to sell the property and we'll have to move out. We have rented for nearly 10 years and these threats come almost monthly. Any recourse?

[FarmerJ]

Easy solution is to give notice according to the lease and move. Also this is what I found > page 20 [url]http://www.dca.ca.gov/legal/landlordbook/catenant.pdf[/url] Shared utilities
If the utility meter for your rental unit is
shared with another unit or another part of the
building (see page 17), then the landlord must
reach an agreement with you on who will pay for
the shared utilities. This agreement must be in
writing (it can be part of the rental agreement or
lease), and can consist of one of the following
options:
• The landlord can pay for the utilities provided
through the meter for your rental unit by
placing the utilities in the landlord’s name;
• The landlord can have the utilities in the area
outside your rental unit put on a separate
meter in the landlord’s name; or
• You can agree to pay for the utilities provided
through the meter for your rental unit to areas
outside your rental unit.61